Pseudonym
by Daniel Monteray
Summary: (Prequel to Alias) He made her feel beautiful. He made her feel loved, needed. Everything he did spoke greater volumes than words but of all the things he did, it was the way he looked at her that rendered her truly breathless.


**Pseudonym **

His eyes scanned the small text on his phone, the soothing, rhythmic crunching of snow under the soles of his feet buzzing in his ears with each step, as the soft snow was compressed into a harder, more compact form. He was so engrossed in his reading that he nearly slipped on the icy patch at the foot of the stairs. Flailing, he managed to grab the railing in the nick of time and right himself as his friend laughed at him openly.

Jellal joined in the laughter. "Shut up," he muttered with a grin.

Scraping the bottom of his snow boots against the ledge of the steps, causing chunks of snow to fall off onto the stairs, Jellal returned his attention back towards the small device.

"Dude, what on earth are you reading that's so good you're willing to take the risk of walking right into a lamp post?" Hughes asked as the two of them pushed open the heavy doors into their university building.

Jellal spared him a glance, waving a hand nonchalantly. "Just, you know. Stuff."

He could hear Hughes mumbling something about porn and antisocial morons as they parted ways at the hall, with Hughes having Introduction to Psychology and with him having his first Introduction to Creative Writing class.

Normally Jellal was a bit more sociable but right now, he was too absorbed in reading his favorite author's latest update. A lazy grin pulled at his lips as he reached a particular scene. He couldn't help but marvel at how beautifully written the whole thing was. The author had a certain way with words and could convey the characters' feelings in such a way that made him feel every bit of their pain, joy and sorrow.

His hand curled around the door handle and he held open the door, gesturing for a redhead and her companions to pass through first. Jellal continued reading, dodging oncoming students and somehow managing to maneuver his way through the crowded halls to his classroom. He trooped over to his seat in the back of the room, passing the girls that he had just opened the door for.

"Reading again?" Mest drawled, smoothing his hair backwards.

"Just updated," Jellal replied, waving two fingers in his direction without taking his eyes off of the screen. He pulled out his computer and switched over from his phone.

"Fast," Mest shook his head. "Who is this again? Light? SA?"

"Fairy Hunter."

"Is he better than Rune Knight?"

Jellal leaned back in his chair, hands laced behind his head. "I prefer her work over Rune Knight's."

"Wow, that is high praise indeed." Mest shot him a sly smile. "So, it's a she, huh?"

"Well, it is a fairly ambiguous name," Jellal feigned ignorance at what his friend was implying but he could feel the heat creep up to the tips of his ears.

_Mystogan: I'm still halfway through your update but this, oh wow this is one of your best chapters. The plot twist is immense._

_Fairy Hunter: Thank you. I had planned that part for a very long time. It's opened up a lot of possibilities that I can explore in future chapters, especially for Hazard._

Mest opened his mouth to take another jab at him but he was distracted by the new students who had come to sit beside him.

Jellal nearly burst out laughing as his friend threw out a few casual "hello"s with his usual charm and was rewarded with nothing but a cold stare by the redhead and her blonde friend.

With a polite smile, Jellal leaned over in front of him and spoke to the girls. "Sorry about that, my friend gets a little…_overfriendly_ sometimes. I'm Jellal, and this is Mest."

"Erza," she replied curtly. "And this is Lucy."

"Nice to meet you."

Mest turned to look at him with a wounded look on his face but Jellal smirked and turned his attention back towards his computer just as the professor entered the lecture hall.

_Mystogan: I have to say, you are my one of my favorite RB authors. Personally I think that your closest competitors would be Chibi and Legion._

_Fairy Hunter: Thanks, but for me, Legion is the best._

_Mystogan: You started out together, right?_

_Fairy Hunter: Chibi and Legion started 5 years ago and I joined 4 years ago. I'm hoping to overtake Legion as the best RB author._

He glanced up briefly to see his professor continue droning on about their class schedule. Mest was texting his girlfriend and Jellal could see Sugarboy, who was sitting in front of him, on facebook whereas Lahar was gaming on his phone.

_Fairy Hunter: What about you? What are you aiming for?_

His fingers hovered over the keyboard hesitantly. He had a dream, but it was a stupid dream.

_Mystogan: I want people to remember me. I want people to think of me whenever they think of the fandom._

_Fairy Hunter: That's very ambitious of you. You've got a lot of competition too._

_Mystogan: It is indeed very difficult, especially with you in the equation but maybe one day I will succeed._

"Are you talking to her again?"

"Dude," Jellal threw up his hands, "private conversation here!"

"We all know Doranbolt's the best author."

"Dude, you _are_ Doranbolt, your opinion doesn't count."

"Mhm, so how's Mysthunter going?"

"Mysthunter? Wait, what?"

"Oh, nothing." Mest winked at him and started texting again.

Jellal rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and resumed his own messaging.

_Fairy Hunter: The day you manage to write a fic that I love is the day you can say that you have succeeded._

Jellal ran a hand through his hair, grinning like a fool at the ceiling. He was a rookie in the fandom, having only joined a few weeks ago and here he was, talking to one of the best authors in the fandom.

_Mystogan: That's some challenge hahaha._

He had been over the moon the first time he saw her Skype icon turn green as the unmistakable bubbling noise sounded in his earphones. There had been an uncontrollable urge to talk to her but he never had any idea what to say. He had been – and still was – nervous, scared even. What if she thought he was an idiot? What if he made a complete and utter fool of himself? So many 'what if's but no answers.

_Fairy Hunter: The path to the top is never easy._

_Mystogan: Words of wisdom befitting a veteran._

He didn't want to say anything stupid or mundane but those were the only kind of thoughts running through his head. Boring questions like 'what are you doing now?' and 'how's school going for you?'. He could always settle on the topic of their fandom but he didn't want her to think that that was all he could talk about.

So, given his shy nature, he had settled for just watching and waiting for her to initiate a conversation because the mere sight of her being online warmed his heart to the very core and it was the most wondrous feeling. Words were not needed even if they were longed for. Just her mere presence, and his knowledge of that fact, was enough to soothe his desires to an extent.

But reading her stories, seeing the two characters fall in love through her eyes had left his heart aching, left him wanting more. She had a beautiful mind, one that he would jump at the chance to get to know on another level. He had the chance to do so now but words were failing him spectacularly.

His heart plummeted free fall into the empty void within him as she suddenly went offline, her Skype icon turning white. A relieved sigh slipped through his lips as she flickered back online.

Jellal switched out from his Skype and opted to continue reading her story. Maybe she would find something to talk about. He didn't dare get his hopes up though. He was just a newbie and she was a well-respected author. Why would she pay any attention to him? She probably had never even read his stories.

_He stared into her eyes, face betraying no noticeable expression. _

_But not to her. _

_No, she could see __**everything**_; _the subtle emotions slipping through his mask, the graceful poetry wrapped in the warmth of his kind hazel eyes, the sudden spark igniting within them as they searched her face for any signs of reciprocity._

_She could feel it all. His hands on her hips, moving them along to the rhythm of the music in time with his own; the faintest tremble in his fingertips as he tried to convey unspoken words of love to her. _

_His aura, warm and passionate, washed over her in tidal waves as he pressed up closer against her. He didn't really know how to put his feelings into words but he didn't need to, because he knew how to show her. And she understood his soundless language better than what the most beautiful words could convey._

"_Love is the farthest thing from logic, so don't think," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath caressing her neck lovingly and she shuddered in anticipation. "Just move with me."_

_His voice, low and sultry, whispered beautiful words in her ear and all she wanted to do was melt into his arms._

"_I know it's hard to put your heart in another's hands, but trust me." _

_His hands brushed against the bare skin exposed by her backless dress and the breath hitched in her throat with a small gasp. Each gentle touch he bestowed upon her was a declaration of his love, every tender caress his worship of the altar that was her body. _

"_Please…" his whispered plea was heartbreaking to hear as he cast aside his pride and begged her, laying bare his heart and soul. He needed to make her understand that he couldn't live without her, and even if he could, life just wasn't worth living without her._

"_Let me love you."_

_She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. And it was because he made her feel beautiful. He made her feel loved, needed. Everything he did spoke greater volumes than words but of all the things he did, it was the way he looked at her that rendered her truly breathless. _

_He looked at her the way one could only __**dream**__ that a lover would, his gaze so intense that she could see it in his eyes; that all he could see in the world was her, and the weight of it all was almost suffocating. If she hadn't seen it with her very own eyes, she never would have believed that one person could be capable of that much love._

Jellal let out a loud sigh.

This insane feeling was back and on one hand, it was a wonderful feeling. On the other, it was driving him crazy because he could feel every single emotion from her words as if she was reading his mind and gods, was he falling for her?

He ruffled his hair forcefully, a sudden restlessness gripping him. He was crazy, or at least he felt like he was going crazy. He was falling for someone he had never met and he was falling for her through her words, but they were beautiful words and by association, so was she.

Burying his face into his hands before sweeping back his hair, he swallowed a groan, feeling it expand in his chest to the point that he was almost certain that it would explode. His emotions were in a jumble, most of them conflicting with one another. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling anymore. All he knew was that it was the most amazing feeling in the world and yet at the same time, it hurt more than anything. It was like the finest champagne was bubbling in his veins, like seeing stars and fireworks around him while a sharp aching clawed at his heart as she twisted the knife lodged in his heart.

How on earth had this happened?

A Skype notification popped up on his computer screen and his heart skipped a beat as he read the words.

_Fairy Hunter: Do you want to do a collab with me?_

His eyes fluttered shut, a small smile on his face.

He was wrong.

It was a lovely feeling and it also hurt him, but no, he wouldn't have it any other way.

_Mystogan: Yes._

There was absolutely no hesitation when he replied.

Yes.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**A/N: **This is kind of the prequel to Alias. I really liked how Alias turned out and wanted to write something related to it, but I don't think I really managed to capture the old brilliance of Alias. Alias was from Erza's POV but this one's from Jellal's POV.

Both Alias and Pseudonym are made up inside jokes of the Mystwalker fandom here. There are facts in here, for example I have in mind actual Mystwalker authors corresponding to those mentioned in this story (obviously with their names changed). The romance bits are partially based on bits and pieces everywhere but most of it is fiction or grossly exaggerated for the sake of this being a romance story.

Thanks to Wolfy for writing Knightwalker's story's excerpt. This, in no way, means that Knightwalker is or was based on her. We just thought it would be fun if we did a mini-collab.

**Wolfy's A/N:** I loved Swing, so I really wanted to try my hand at something similar here but I failed. Miserably. There is no way I can top that fic. Frustrating, but I still love that fic. So many feels. Go read it hurr. But yeah, I wrote that bit with Mystwalker in mind.


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